Conventional brake pedals for HEVs may include a foot-actuated brake pedal which pivotally engages a pedal arm. The pedal arm actuates a booster input rod through a booster washer on the rod. The booster input rod actuates the hydraulic brake booster to effect the friction braking operation of the vehicle. Accordingly, upon depression of the brake pedal from a release position to a braking position, the pedal arm pivots and pushes the booster input rod into the brake booster which applies hydraulic braking to the vehicle wheels.
One or a pair of pedal return springs may return the brake pedal to the release position after braking. A hysteresis mechanism on the brake pedal may provide hysteresis during return of the pedal such that the pedal imparts the feel of the brake pedal of a conventional vehicle braking system. The conventional HEV brake pedal design requires application of the hysteresis while a gap is maintained between the pedal arm and the booster washer on the booster input rod and as the pedal returns to the release position. However, this design may add costs to the design and manufacture of the brake pedal.
Accordingly, an HEV brake pedal assembly with a pedal return mechanism which provides a return force for a brake pedal and maintains hysteresis during return of the pedal to the release position is needed.